The Polar Expedition of the Airship “Italia” (1928): A Chapter in the History of Physics

The “Italia” airship expedition of 1928 under the command of General Umberto Nobile was the first air expedition to the North Pole with important scientific, and especially physics, objectives. This paper will use unpublished archival documents and other primary sources to examine the extent to which these objectives were achieved, focusing on the physical research in the pack ice and on board the airship. We will also discuss the fate of the scientific equipment brought to the Pole and the role of the two physicists who took part in the expedition. It is known that when the airship hit the pack ice, ten crew members, including General Nobile and physicist František Běhounek, were trapped in the ice. Unfortunately, the other six crew members were trapped in the still-drifting airship hull, which disappeared over the Arctic Ocean. They were never found. One of them was the Italian physicist Aldo Pontremoli, whose passion for flying and scientific career will be traced here to discuss why and with what purpose he was on board this fateful flight.